32 
January  9,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
The  Rosaeian’s  Yeak  Book.* 
Teuly  the  whirligig  of  time  briDgs  many  changes,  and  we  are  always 
glad  to  see  them  when  they  are  changes  for  the  better.  We  have  known 
the  time  when  an  ardent  rosarian  would  “  not  write  another  line”  for 
the  Journal  of  Horticulture  because  he  was  not  permitted  to  employ 
language  as  strong  as  he  desired  against  a  gentleman  of  much  longer 
standing  in  the  Rose  world  than  himself.  The  Journal  came  out  as 
»8*al,  never  missing  a  week,  and  calm  followed  the  storm.  No  doubt 
our  impulsive  contributor — a  man  of  gemerous  heart,  without  a  doubt, 
and  bright,  keen  intellect — has  longed  to  write  again  since  then,  in  token 
of  the  gratitude  he  now  must  feel  for  the  movement  which  at  the  time 
surprised  him,  but  happily,  as  wa*  intended,  led  from  war  to  peace. 
May  harmony  and  goodwill  prevail  throughout  the  Rose-loving  com¬ 
munity,  and  thus  prove  in  this  as  in  other  associations  that  unity  is 
strength. 
The  National  Rose  Society  has  grown  steadily  stronger  from  year  to 
year,  and  we  shall  hope  to  see  similar  progress  in  the  future.  Its  position 
has  not  been  won  by  spurts  and  forced  efforts,  but  is  the  result  of  what 
may  be  termed  healthy  natural  growth,  and  hence  the  more  likely  to  be 
lasting,  giving  good  hope  for  the  future.  The  Society  has  done  much  in 
extending  and  improving  the  cultivation  of  the  Rose  and  encouraging 
the  production  of  new  varieties  ;  and  not  Roses  for  “shows”  alone,  but 
Roses  for  gardens,  and  thus  making  home  surroundings  beautiful  and 
Bweet ;  also  it  has  been  the  means  of  adding  to  the  rosarian’s  library 
season  after  season — the  “Year  Book.” 
Externally  the  annual  is  “  always  the  same” — neat  and  suggestive’ 
with  its  bordering  of  the  seasons,  the  happy  inspiration  and  skilful 
manipulation  of  Mr.  W.  G.  Smith — but  in  contents  always  different. 
Sometimes  the  articles  have  been  to  a  noticeable  extent  light  and  racy, 
at  other  times  generally  solid— often  a  mixture  of  both.  The  present 
issie  may,  perhaps,  be  classed  among  the  solid  series;  but  it  is  varied 
alike  in  subjects  and  treatment.  The  articles,  though  necessarily  limited, 
cover  a  wide  field— biographical,  poetical,  historical,  and  meteorological, 
with  a  few  others  between  ;  while,  as  usual,  the  pictorial  aspect  is  not 
overlooked. 
An  excellent  photogravure  of  Mr.  Alexander  Dickson,  a  popular 
member  of  the  famous  Newtownards  firm,  faces  the  title  page.  Mr. 
Charles  J.  Grahame,  in  the  first  article,  writes  justly  and  appreciatively 
of  the  commanding  success  of  Messrs.  Dickson  in  raising  new  Roses,  of 
which  he  notes  there  are  nineteen  in  commerce.  Most  of  these  are  men¬ 
tioned  in  the  article,  or  on  another  page  of  the  book,  and  it  may  there¬ 
fore  be  helpful  to  those  of  our  readers  who  desire  to  win  some  of  the 
prizes  offered  by  a  “leading  amateur,”  whose  identity  we  are  left  to 
guess,  though  possibly  it  is  not  very  deeply  enshrouded  in  mystery.  Mr. 
Grahame  goes  on  to  say:  — “The  popular  young  rosarian,  Alexander 
Dickson,  jun.,  the  subject  of  the  present  short  sketch,  may,  1  think, 
be  now  said  to  be  the  moving  spirit  in  the  great  firm  of  which  he  is  a 
partner.  He  is  young  and  energetic  enough,  having  been  born  in  1857, 
to  give  promise  of  delighting  us  with  Roses  of  colourings  and  varieties 
which  have  not  even  been  dreamt  of,  although  I  never  expect,  nor 
indeed  hope  for,  a  blue  Rose.  ’  Nor  do  we.  So  it  comes  about  that  we 
agree  with  the  narrator,  as  we  do  also  in  the  tribute  he  pays  to  Mr! 
Alexander  Dickson,  as  a  genial  and  courteous  Irish  gentleman. 
The  Rev.  David  R.  Williamson  follows  with  tender  lines  of  poetry  on 
the  “  Ministrations  of  Flowers,”  J 
“Ethereal  offsprings  of  this  marvellous  earth, 
That  bless  our  lives  and  grow  upon  our  graves.” 
Then  comes  Mr.  John  Howard  of  San  Francisco  with  an  article  on 
Rose  Growing  in  California.”  Rosea  are  said  to  grow  with  such  luxuri¬ 
ance  there  (by  the  aid  of  irrigation)  as  to  evoke  feelings  of  wonder  that 
so  much  care  is  bestowed  on  them  in  England.  It  is  because  they  are 
responsive  to  this  care,  and  well  repay  for  it  by  their  beauty.  Mr. 
Howard  refers  with  approval  to  Californian  flower  shows  as  parades  of 
decorated  vehicles,  instancing  “six  thousand  Duchessede  Brabant  Roses 
fastened  to  a  carriage  and  shown  with  splendid  effect.”  In  this  he 
displays  the  absence  of  the  instinct  of  the  true  British  rosarian,  who 
would  regard  such  a  spectacle  as  the  degradation  of  the  Rose. 
..  c,Mri  ^orge  hf8  a  good  word,  or  rather  several  paragraphs  on 
bingle  Roses  for  Garden  Decoration,”  particularly  for  pillars  and  large 
masses.  He  enumerates  and  briefly  describes  the  characteristics  of 
several,  going  on  to  say,  “  By  far  the  brightest  coloured  variety  is 
Carmine  illar,  which  bas  proved  thoroughly  hardy,  and  with  its  erect 
growths  of  shiny  green  foliage  and  carmine  scarlet  flowers  forms  a 
perfect  pillar  Rose.”  Mr.  Paul  recognises  the  excellent  work  of  Lord 
Penzance  with  Sweet  Briars,  and  sees  great  possibilities  of  further 
advances  in  the  same  direction  that  may  have  surprises  in  store.  It 
is  very  likely,  and  Lord  Penzance  in  a  highly  interesting  article  on 
the  “  Progress  in  the  Hybridising  of  Roses  ”  tells  of  his  experience — of 
his  successes,  disappointments,  hopes,  and  fears.  It  is  a  very  suggestive 
article,  and  few  there  can  be  who  on  reading  it  will  not  wish  that  his 
lordship  could  be  young  again. 
“  The  History  of  the  Provence  Rose  ”  is  traced  by  the  Rev.  G.  E. 
Jeans.  The  author  goes  back  to  the  far-past  times  of  Herodotus  and 
Pliny.  He  traces  the  Rose  to  the  gardens  of  Psestum,  a  town  in  the 
Greek  part  of  Italy.  The  Rose  spread  far  until  it  became  known  as  the 
“  Campanian.”  Mr.  Jeans  evidently  regards  it  as  producing  the  “  twice- 
flowered  ”  Roses  of  Paestum,  and  believes  the  market  gardeners  there 
were  the  originators  of  the  race  of  Remontants,  or  Hybrid  Perpetuals. 
He  does  not  accept  the  opinion  that  the  name  of  “  Provence  Rose  ”  is  a 
misnomer,  and  should  be  the  “  Provins  Rose,”  and  for  reasons  stated 
concludes  that  Provins  Roses  are  Damasks.  Following  his  old  favourite 
the  Campanian,  Provence,  or  Cabbage  Rose  from  Italy,  Mr.  Jeans 
says  : — “  It  is  well  known  that  wherever  Rome  went  she  carried  not 
not  only  her  organising  methods,  but  her  luxuries — her  baths,  her  tessel¬ 
lated  pavements,  and  her  Roses.  Some  of  these  last  doubtless  came  as 
far  north  as  even  to  the  unhappy  Britons,  sundered  from  all  the  world. 
But  many  more  went  with  far  less  trouble  to  the  rapidly  civilised  Gaul, 
where  they  found  a  climate  and  soil  which  exactly  suited  them  ;  and 
when  the  Roman  Empire  broke  into  pieces,  and  Paestum  became  the 
beautiful  desert  which  we  now  find  it,  the  sturdiest  of  Roses  had  so 
settled  itself  in  Gallia  Provincia  that  it  took  a  new  name,  and  was  no 
longer  the  *  Campanian,’  but  the  Rosa  Provinciae,  or  ‘  Provence  Rose.’  ” 
A  well  reasoned  article,  worthy  of  its  place  and  of  perusal. 
The  Editor,  in  his  pithy  little  preface,  trusts  “  there  is  still  some¬ 
thing  to  be  said  for  the  queen  of  flowers.”  He  says  “  something  ”  over 
fourteen  or  fifteen  pages,  and  says  it  well — a  comprehensive  review  of 
the  last  Rose  year.  It  is  a  record  of  many  things  with  comments — an 
easy,  natural  chat  on  matters  which  interested  him,  and  is  certain  to  be 
read  from  end  to  end.  The  article  betokens  no  signs  of  what  he  fore¬ 
shadows,  and  possibly,  like  another  “  young  ”  veteran,  he  may  be  found 
some  ten  years  hence  trotting  off  to  Biarritz. 
Mr.  Edward  Mawley,  whose  stress  of  work  impelled  him  to  seek 
release  from  his  secretarial  duties,  but  under  great  pressure  fortunately 
still  retains  them,  is  also  “in”  the  book.  He  is  more  fortunate  than 
some  writers,  who  would  write  more  if  they  could  find  a  fresh  subject ; 
he  never  has  to  search  for  one.  It  comes  to  him  every  morning  without 
fail — his  constant  friend  the  weather.  How  closely  he  watches  it  and 
its  effect  on  the  Roses  the  whole  year  round.  How  carefully  he  observes, 
how  diligently  he  keeps  his  records,  and  how  accurate  he  is  in  his 
tabulations  ;  and  so  has  he  made  bis  article  fresh  for  the  eighteenth 
time,  an  appropriate  closing  chapter  of  the  annual,  with  others,  it  is 
hoped,  to  follow  during  many  a  future  year.  The  “  Rosarian’s  Year 
Book  ”  is  well  worth  its  shilling. 
SYRINGING  VINES. 
Dibectly  the  new  year  is  ushered  in  many  gardeners  commence 
operations  in  their  vineries  for  the  successful  termination  of  the  fruit 
crop.  I  am  well  aware  of  course  that  many  houses  are  closed  pre¬ 
paratory  to  the  Vines  starting  into  growth  in  November.  It  is,  however, 
in  a  more  general  way  that  I  name  the  month  of  January  for  my 
purpose  in  bringing  before  the  great  body  of  Grape  cultivators  the 
question,  Is  the  syringing  of  Vines  necessary  ?  I  answer  the  query  with 
a  negative.  I  know  it  is  the  common  practice  of  many  growers  to  syringe 
the  Vines  twice  daily  until  the  bunches  are  plainly  visible  in  some  cases, 
and  in  others  until  the  Vines  are  actually  in  bloom. 
It  is  a  generally  understood  notion  that  the  syringing  of  the  dormant 
rods  excites  them  into  growth,  and  induces  them  to  break  stronger. 
For  the  last  three  seasons  I  have  ceased  to  syringe  Vines  at  all  until 
after  the  fruit  has  been  cut.  My  reason  for  so  doing  is  that  equal 
success  can  be  gained  by  the  non-syringing  practice  as  by  the  reverse. 
The  time  saved  then  is  a  consideration,  if  nothing  else.  It  is  not  the 
external  wetting  of  the  Vines  that  creates  activity  in  the  sap  vessels,  it 
is  the  state  and  health  of  the  Vines  themselves.  If  they  are  in  proper 
condition  new  growth  will  push  as  freely  as  though  the  canes  are 
continually  moistened.  I  would  advise,  however,  that  the  atmosphere  in 
the  house  be  maintained  in  a  somewhat  humid  state  by  moisture 
from  the  evaporating  troughs,  and  by  the  occasional  damping  of  the 
paths,  walls,  and  borders  of  the  vinery.  An  atmosphere  free  from 
aridity,  but  not  so  heavily  laden  with  moisture  as  many  persons  deem 
necessary,  is  the  condition  under  which  Vines  make  the  best  progress. 
To  those  who  have  not  previously  tested  the  non-syringing  plan  I  would 
say,  Try  it  without  prejudice. 
Vines  infested  with  mealy  bug  will  be  favoured  somewhat  in  the 
non-syringing  plan.  If  after  washing  the  rods  they  are  coated  over 
with  some  mixture,  such  as  sulphur  and  clay,  with  a  view  of  smothering 
the  pests  or  their  eggs,  continual  syringing  of  the  rods  loosens  the 
compositions  employed,  making  cracks  for  the  escape  or  inlet  of  this 
pest. — E.  M. 
*  Beinrose  &  Sons,  Derby  and  London. 
